Cassey, Our Mutt Born to Be Free—Mount Abu.
Cassey was born to be free, and though her life was cut short, her wild spirit infused every moment. On April 28, 2017, at 4 a.m., she met her fate when the leopard took her. But before that, she had already made her mark on our hearts, a mark as enduring as the hills she once roamed.
Cassey’s story with us began on a rainy day in July 2015. Mount Abu had just experienced its heaviest rainfall–40 inches in 48 hours. Amidst the floodwaters, a tiny, just-over-a-month-old pup appeared at our doorstep, like the storm had delivered her to us. We weren’t planning on adopting another dog, after the sadness of losing our beloved Great Dane, Buddy, who we had sent to live at St. Mary’s School. But fate had unique plans. Our daughter, ever the kind-hearted soul, named her Cassey, and from that moment, she became part of our family.
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| Cassey, the love of my life. |
Cassey was wild at heart, a true free spirit. She was a small, sleek, and energetic dog, always on the move. Her eyes sparkled with a passion for life, and her little body was in motion whether she was dashing up and down the hillside or hunting her favourite prey: the mongoose. She had the speed of a cheetah and the stamina of a horse, often chasing after a squirrel, rat, or even the notorious mongoose. Her call of the wild, echoed by the shrill cry of the “did-you-do-it” (Red-wattled lapwing), would mark the start of her hunt. Cassey was born to roam, and she lived for the chase.
While we had dogs in our home for as long as I could remember, none were quite like her. She never cared much for food. We gave her small portions, but she often left them untouched, or she’d bury them for later as if preparing for some unknown future need. Cassey was a dog who lived on her own terms, preferring the thrill of the hunt over the comfort of a full belly. She made friends, both with the local children and the other wandering mongrels that passed through our lives. But it was her late-night escapades that set her apart. Often, she would vanish into the shadows at night, returning only in the pre-dawn hours. I regularly felt she had made some unspoken pact with the leopard. Despite her wild freedom, she always came home safe.
Cassey’s relationship with the leopard was one of mutual respect, or perhaps instinct. She was not one to back down. In the last moments of her life, her instincts took over, and she faced the predator head-on. Perhaps she thought she could outwit it, or maybe she was protecting what she saw as her territory.
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| Cassey getting used to her newfound home |
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Playing in the garden August 2015 |
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| Cassey at six months. She loved to play, be it a ball or a stick. You name it she was always game. |
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One-year-old, a real handsome mutt on the lookout for the mongoose. |
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| The mongoose always gave Cassey the slip |
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| Her powerful sense of smell took her to the hideouts of the mongoose. |
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| The mongoose, with its speed and agility, always made it to its hideout. |
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She had mastered the steep granite slopes like the goats of our area. |
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Basking in the winter sun |
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| She kept herself occupied by enticing other mutts to have a game with her. |
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| A large Daman opposite the house. |
Her curiosity and pottering around the garden once caused her to be bitten by the Daman. She developed a fever and looked really shaken. It looked like she was going to lose the use of her back legs while walking she began tottering. For about a day and a half, she never came out of her room. I had phoned the vet, but he told me there was not anything to get hassled she would come around. Sure enough, on day three, she was up and about. Now, her instincts were finely tuned. She would burst out in a frenzy whenever she smelled the snake and forewarned us of its presence.
I remember once when a huge monitor lizard had made its way into the garden and Cassey went nuts trying to figure out what this creature was.
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| Cassey returned home with her booze bottle. |
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Cassey getting ready to uncork her bottle. |
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Ready for her first winter swig. December is cold in Abu. |
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| Our pretty mutt in her winter attire! |
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| Cassey waiting patiently for her Christmas treat. |
Ready to have her cake and goodies on Christmas Day. She loved her Indian sweets, cookies, and biscuits. “All that is a big no for doggies” I don’t think it's taboo, let them eat everything in moderation.
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| It's gonna be sunset soon time I headed down for my dinner or else my mistress will boot my rump. |
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| Cassey stared down the hill at what appeared to be some strange animal at the base. |
What are those creatures down there? I’ve seen them around since I’ve made a home here, but what are they? Her fascination and curiosity for these four-hooved critters were a sight to behold. She wanted to befriend them, but their strange behaviour and grunting sounds kept her at bay.
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These semi-wild pigs were a constant source of amusement and fascination for Cassey. |
